Dexter's Wonderful Day by Madge H. Gressley

Source: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.Genre: ChildrenFormat: eBook, PrintPublication Date: March 4, 2016

Back Cover

When Dexter woke up, he knew it was going to be a wonderful day. He didn't know why, but he knew it was a very special day. He invited all of his friends to come skip rocks at the pond and enjoy the day with him. However, all of his friends were too busy to skip rocks. Clearly, Dexter was disappointed that his friends were too busy to join him, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from having a wonderful day. Then, when all of his friends suddenly disappeared, he couldn't help but wonder where they had gone and why hadn't he been invited to go along?

Summary

From the moment he wakes up, Dexter knows it is going to be a wonderful day and decides to enjoy it by skipping rocks at the pond. On his way to the pond, he invites the friends he encounters to join him; however, they all have other things to do. While Dexter is a bit disappointed that his friends cannot join him right away, he is confident that they will eventually join him and is determined to keep having a wonderful day.

When it becomes apparent that his friends are not going to join him at the pond, Dexter wonders what they are doing and why he was not asked to join them. Are they angry with him, or is there something else going on?

Review

Dexter's Wonderful Day is a sweet book starring a laid back dragon who has a catchy song in his heart and a bumbling step. The cast of characters that Dexter encounters as he makes his way to the pond are just as adorable as he is.

Dexter's journey is not an easy one as he deals with the disappointment that his friends cannot join him for various reasons. Rather than taking each rejection personally and expressing his disappointment by throwing a tantrum or prying into his friends' business, he demonstrates understanding and maintains a positive attitude throughout the whole experience.

The characters and setting are sweet and engaging, enough so that it will hold a child's attention. The charming dialogue is written in a way that encourages adults who are reading the books out loud to voice act as they read to children. The beautiful and colorful illustrations are self-explanatory for older children, but they come with brief captions that convey the book's message for toddlers with short attention spans. Finally, the lesson about dealing with disappointment in an acceptable way is clear, without being preachy, and it could be used as a tool to encourage children to move past their feelings of disappointment.

Gressley continues to provide adult family members with wonderful books that they can read to kids. Dexter's Wonderful Day will be a great addition to a younger child's library and a fantastic bedtime story read!

About Madge H. Gressley

Madge Gressley lives in Missouri with her granddaughter and two dogs. She started her writing career in 2013 when she traded her brushes, paints, and canvases for pen and paper but, in this case--computer and keyboard. She works from home and squeezes writing in between jobs for her graphic design business and letting the dogs in and out--a full-time job in itself.